


Apple Pie for Your Birthday

by Iserlohna



Category: Ginga Eiyuu Densetsu | Legend of the Galactic Heroes
Genre: Best Friends, Birthday Cake, Birthday Fluff, Ficlet, Gen, Shippy Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-14
Updated: 2021-01-14
Packaged: 2021-03-12 15:56:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 938
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28762950
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iserlohna/pseuds/Iserlohna
Summary: Even when things are busy and rushing along Reinhard wouldn't forget it's his birthday.
Relationships: Annerose von Grunewald/Siegfried Kircheis, Siegfried Kircheis & Reinhard von Lohengramm
Kudos: 5





	Apple Pie for Your Birthday

**Author's Note:**

> Written because it's Kircheis' bday and I was feeling a little heartbroken thinking about him - so happy moment for him. Set after _Legend of Galactic Heroes Gaiden - The Retriever_

Siegfried looked around the room that had been assigned to him for the past few weeks. He hadn't even been staying here for much of his time, as Reinhard had been sent of on the Hässliches Entlein for most of the time that they'd been stationed on the Fortress and Siegfried's place had been at Reinhard's side. 

"These days it makes really no sense to even unpack. With how incompetent everyone else is, we get promoted right out of assignments quicker and quicker," Reinhard said and Siegfried looked up at him. His friend was leaning inside the door to his room, hands folded behind his back.

"When we get back to Odin," Siegfried said, "think our old lodging will still be available?"

"I hope so," Reinhard answered and then looked a little uncomfortable. "I think my sister may have asked the landlady to keep the rooms for us."

Of course, neither Annerose nor Reinhard could have had predicted how fast they would be transferred back to Odin with a new promotion, so she must have been prepared to pay for them despite of it but maybe hoping her little brother would be back soon. Whatever people were thinking about Reinhard's abilities - he was moving through the ranks fast and not because his sister was constantly asking for it. In fact, Siegfried knew if Annerose would have had any say in it, she would have asked the emperor to keep Reinhard in save mostly administrative positions - and that would have been the opposite of what Reinhard wanted. He did his work at administrative postings as attentively as he did his work on the front line but he wanted to be where he could make a name for himself and move up the ranks faster. And even knowing Reinhard and his abilities - sometimes the speed at which both of them were moving forward was taking Siegfried's breath away.

"You're keeping that, Kircheis?" 

"Huh?"

Reinhard had walked into the room to sit down on the bed.

"The bear," he clarified and pointed at the little red stuffed bear that the young Lady Margareta von Herxheimer had given to Siegfried before they had let her defect together with Bendlinger, who was now listed as battle casualty because they had covered for him as they had promised. 

Siegfried shrugged. "It was a gift," he said softly, feeling as if he had to justify himself for this sign of sentimentality. 

Reinhard waved the explanation away with one hand, still holding the other behind his back. "I knew you were too kind. But I cannot blame you for keeping it. After all, his bigger counterpart was named after you."

He laughed. The girl had called her own bear Siegfried, indeed.

"Have you packed already, Reinhard?" 

Reinhard didn't look as if he was about to get up and leave again despite the late hour and he was usually very rigid with his own sleeping schedule when he knew they were supposed to head out early in the morning.

"Nothing to pack really," his friend answered with a sheepish grin. "I never got around to unpack more than the few shirts I wear under the uniform."

"Same for me," Siegfried admitted, throwing another sweeping glance across the little room. "Can't sleep?"

"Could probably, if I bothered to try," Reinhard said with a grin.

"It's nearly..." He looked over at the clock on his night stand.

"Midnight," Reinhard finished for him with a grin, just as the clock switched from 23:59 to 00:00. "Alles Gute zum Geburtstag," Reinhard said very formally. " _Happy Birthday._ "

He had nearly forgotten... It was his birthday today. In all the rush... He chuckled. "Thank you, I nearly forgot."

"I never forget," Reinhard stated with indignation and his eyes flared, but then he grinned. He held up a small box. "I brought you this, too."

He blinked at it for a moment, before a bright smile lit up his features. It was so like Reinhard to be a strategist who hid his movements until the last second - even when it was about a birthday present. Siegfried carefully took the box and knew what it was before he easily opened the little carton he'd seen holding cake down at the bakery in Iserlohn's leisure district. It was a small apple pie. 

"I had to bribe them to get it like this," Reinhard huffed.

"Thank you." Siegfried grinned.

"It won't taste as delicious as my sister's cakes but I thought it'll do."

"Thank you," he repeated and grinned even wider, when Reinhard held out one of two little forks he had brought. 

He sat down to share the cake between them on the bed that shortly would be another officer's. 

"I also have this," Reinhard said and reached into his pocket. He held up a small disc - a data-letter. "From Annerose."

Siegfried took it, feeling warmth creeping into his cheeks. That even Annerose would have thought of his birthday warmed his heart as much as Reinhard's little gestures of kindness.

Reinhard slid his fingers through Siegfried's fringe. "Read it later," he said and pulled on the strands a bit. "Cake first. We have a long day tomorrow... Today."

"Yes, sir," Siefgried said only half in jest.

"I wanted you to have a nice birthday despite of it."

"It's perfect."

Reinhard nodded, his own wild golden fringe falling into his eyes and slightly obscuring the pink creeping into his cheeks. "Good."

Siegfried took his first bite of the cake and nodded. "Very good."

They laughed together and Siegfried thought he might as well start plotting how to thank Reinhard when his own birthday came around.


End file.
